This invention relates to a method for washing the interior of containers and filling the containers with liquid, the containers having spring-loaded closure units.
Specifically the invention has been developed for the washing and/or filling of beer kegs. Such a keg has a closure unit which has one or two spring-loaded valve members which act to seal the keg. The closure units are arranged so that the valve members may be opened to fill the keg, or dispense beer from the keg, with the closure unit in place in the keg. Such a keg is filled against a counter-pressure of carbon dioxide and beer is dispensed from a keg under a top pressure of carbon dioxide.
Normally a keg is washed and sterilized in one or two washing stations and is then moved to a filling station where the keg is pressurised with carbon dioxide and beer is then filled into the keg under the top pressure of the carbon dioxide which is displaced from the keg as the beer enters the keg.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of filling a container, particularly a beer keg, in which the washing is carried out at two stations and in which the times that a keg located at the second washing station and at the filling station are more equal than in methods heretofore used.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of washing and filling a container or beer keg in which the container or keg may be cooled between the second washing station and the filling station. This is particularly advantageous where the keg has to be filled with highly carbonated beers whose quality would be impaired if filled into a hot keg.